Multiple separable fastener device for body harness



Oct. 8, 1963 H. F. DAVIS 3,106,004

MULTIPLE SEPARABLE FASTENER DEVICE FOR BODY HARNESS Filed Dec. 11, 19612 Sheets-Sheet 1 .5 a ma #m% m w m w W W n m r n n A 2. a am 4 a m, ,d::\\\D W H W 2 Y 4 B u a m a n n w l Kw 3 a .fl 2 2 0 .9 3 3 z a .a Wmull" a 63 Oct. 8, 1963 H. F. DAVIS 3,106,004

MULTIPLE SEPARABLE FASTENER DEVICE FOR BODY HARNESS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed Dec. 11, 1961 IN VEN TOR l/ugk I? 04 Wis BY 3,1ll6,0i)4 MULTIPLESEPARABLE FASETELNER DEVICE FQR BGDY HARNES Hugh F. Davis, The Hugh F.Davis (10., 129 Pike St.,

Covington, Ky. Filed Dec. 11, 1961, Ser. No. 158,47tl 2 Claims. (Cl. 2i-205.17)

The present invention relates to an improved multiple separable fastenerdevice for body harness for field use in securing a wounded person to astretcher or for harness worn by automobile drivers for holding themsafely in their seats, or the like.

This invention relates to a simplified, yet rugged quick release devicefor separably fastening the terminal ends of shoulder, crotch, and/ orwaist straps of a body harness together wherein each terminal end may beindependently entered and individually fastened to the device, but whenrequired, all the terminal ends fastened to the device may be releasedquickly and simultaneously.

Another object of the invention is to provide a multiple, separablefastener device of unitary design that may be used for body harness ofthe character set out hereinabove.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a structurallyimproved multiple, separable fastener device that will release all thebody harness termini by the manual depression of an operating button ina direction normal to the top wall of the casing member for the device.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will beapparent from the following description taken in connection with thedrawings forming a part of this specification, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmental, top plan view of my multiple, separable fastenerdevice showing the terminal ends of body harness fastened thereto.

FIG. 2 is a somewhat enlarged 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged section taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional detail taken on line 44 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is an exploded, perspective view of my multiple, separablefastening device.

Referring now in detail to the drawings Which show the preferredembodiment of my invention the reference numeral indicates anopen-topped box having a flat bottom wall 11 and marginal, upstandingside and end walls 1212 and 1313, respectively. A floating guide plate14 is positioned upon the box and preferably has the same configurationas the open top of the box to extend across and completely close theopening therein. The guide plate is restrained against sidewise andendwise movement upon the box by interlocking means which preferablytakes the form of an ear 15 projecting upwardly from each of the topedges of the box side walls 12-12 which engage in a notch16 in opposedside edges of the guide plate 14 which co-operate to key the side plateto the box.

A casing member 17 for my device has a top wall 13 and a pair ofspaced,,-marginal flanges 19 and 2t) that project downwardly from thetop wall 18 to embrace opposed sides 12-12 of the box 10. As best shownin FIG. 2 of the drawing the casing flanges 19 and 20 closely fitagainst the exterior faces of the sides 1212 of the box 10 and the box10 and the box and easing member are fixed together in operativeposition such that the top wall 18 of the casing member is spacedupwardly away from the guide plate 14 for the box to provide a common,enclosed area 21 that is adapted to receive section taken on lineEdd-$534 ?atented @ci. e, 1963 ice the terminal ends 22 (FIG. 1) ofvarious straps 23 comprising the body harness. Suitable means forsecuring the casing member to the box is shown in the drawings as a pairof rods 24-24 which pass through aligned holes in the flanges 19 and 20and the box sidewalls 1212, said rods being secured against axialdisplacement by means of split washers 25 which snap into peripheralgrooves 26 formed on the projecting ends of the rods. The terminal ends22 of the body harness are received and guided to proper lockingpositions within the common area 21 by means of harness terminalreceiving slots 27 formed in the casing member along the junction of itstop wall 18 with the flanges 19 and 20. A body harness terminalreceiving opening 28 is also formed between the open end of the casingmember and the end of the guide plate 14 whilst the opposed end of thecasing member is slotted and provided with a strap adjusting lock slidebar 230 of the, usual kind to secure an end of the strap 23 againstrelease.

A release plate 29 is disposed within the box 10 parallel to the guideplate 14 for reciprocating movement toward and away from the said guideplate. This release plate has a release button 30 mounted upon itscentral portion which projects upwardly from the release plate throughclearance openings 31 formed through the guide plate and normally hasits upper end positioned within a hole 32 made through the central partof the top wall 18 of the casing member 17. A number of small irregularholes 33 are punched in the release plate around the button 30 and arelatively larger irregular hole 34 is formed in the said plate at oneend thereof. All of these holes in the release plate engage and havedogs 35 projecting upwardly therethrough for limited axial reciprocatingmovements relative to the said plate. The dogs have irregular sectionalshapes which correspond to the configurations of the receiving holes 33and 34 in the release plate to preclude rotational movement of the dogsaround their respective axes and, as best shown in FIGS. 24, each dog isbiased upwardly by an expansile spring 36 which has its upper coilseated in a bore 37 in the bottom of the dog and its lower coil engagedaround an upstanding lug 38 on the bottom wall 11 of the box 16. Springurged upward movement of each dog relative to the release plate 29 islimited by a pair of opposed shoulders 39-39 projecting laterally fromthe bottom end of the dog and normally biased into engagement with thebotorn surface of the release plate by the spring 36.

Upper limit stop means is provided for the release plate 29 against theaction of all the spring loaded dogs which normally urge the releaseplate upwardly, said limit stop means comprising downturned tongues 40stamped from the guide plate when clearance holes 41 are formedtherethrough to permit free extension of the spring loaded dogs throughthe plate. The upper ends of the dogs are tapered upwardly and inwardly,as at 42, so that the tapered upper ends are normally positioned withinthe enclosed area 21 that receives the terminal ends of the body harnessand each present the tapered side to its respective harness terminalreceiving slot so that when a terminal is entered through the slot intothe area 21 the terminal will depress the said dog. The guide plate 14is held down upon the open top of the box in its keyed positiontherewith by means of integral lugs 43 struck from the body of the plateand projecting upwardly into engagement with the underside of the topwall 18 for the casing member 17.

In operation it will be understood that one of the terminal ends of thebody harness may be inseparably attached to the casing member by thebuckle arrangement 230 shown on the right hand side of the device as itis illustrated in FIGS. 12 of the drawings. The remaining terminal endsof the body harness may be fastened to the device by severally enteringtheir terminal ends 22 into the slots 27 formed in the casing member orinto the opening 28 formed in the end of the casing member between thetop wall 18 and the guide plate 1-1. As each terminal end 22 is enteredinto the device the leading edge of said terminal end engages thetapered upper end of a dog 35 which independently depresses said dogagainst the action of its spring 36. The dog therefore moves downwardlyinto the box relative to the guide plate 14 and the release plate 29'and as the terminal end moves to its home position the dog will bespring urged into the slot formed in the terminal end 22 and will thenmove upwardly to assume its normal terminal fastening position, shown inFIGS. 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings, with the shoulders 3 9 spring urgedupwardly against the release plate 2?. All or :as many as is desired ofthe terminal ends are therefore independently entered into the deviceand automatically fastened in the device by their respective springloaded dogs and at the time it becomes necessary to release the terminalends from the body harness a single downward pressure is exerted on thebutton 3t) which will move the release plate 29 downwardly and move allthe dogs 35 downwardly simultaneously out of engagement with theterminal ends thus permitting their release from the device.

What is claimed is:

1. In a multiple, separable fastener device for body harness thecombination of an open-topped box, a casing member having a top wall anda pair of spaced, marginal flanges projecting downwardly from oppositesides of the top wall to embrace opposed sides of the box, terminalentrance slots formed through the flanges above the top of the box, rodmeans securing the spaced marginal flanges of the casing member to thebox to position the open top of the box in spaced relation with theunderside of the top wall of the casing member, a floating guide platedisposed upon and across the open top of the box and having a number oflugs struck upwardly therefrom to engage the underside of the casing topwall, each lug being located beside and in terminal guiding positionrelative to :a terminal entrance slot to provide an area adapted toreceive and guide the terminal ends of the body harness, interlockingmeans between the guide plate and the box restraining the :guide plateagainst sidewise and en'dwise movement upon the box, a release plate'moveable within the box toward and away from the guide plate, a releasebutton mounted upon the central portion of the release plate, therebeing a clearance hole formed in the guide plate through which therelease button freely extends, there being an opening formed in the topwall of the casing member for recessing the upper terminal end of therelease button, a number of upstanding harness terminal engaging dogsmounted for reciproc-ating, axial movements on the release plate, eachdog projecting through the guide plate and into the terminal endreceiving area, stop means on each dog limiting movement of the dog onthe release plate in an upward direction, and an exp ansible springmeans between the bottom of each dog and the box biasing the dog againstthe release plate and the release plate against the guide plate.

2. In a multiple, separable fastener device for body harness thecombination of an open-topped box, a casing member having a top wall anda pair of spaced, marginal flanges projecting downwardly from oppositesides of the top wall to embrace opposed sides of the box, there beingterminal entrance slots formed through the flanges above the top of thebox, rod means securing the spaced marginal flanges of the casing memberto the box to position the open top of the box in spaced relation withthe underside of the top wall of the casing member, a floating guideplate disposed upon and across the open top of the box. and having anumber of lugs struck upwardly therefrom to engage the underside of thetop wall of the casing member, each lug being located beside and interminal guiding position relative to an entrance slot to provide anarea adapted to receive and guide the terminal ends of the body harness,interlocking means between the guide plate and the box restraining theguide plate against sidewise and endw'ise movement upon the box, arelease plate rnoveable Within the box toward and away from the guideplate, :a release button mounted upon the central portion of the releaseplate, there being 13, clearance hole formed in the guide plate throughwhich the release button freely extends, there being an opening formedin the top wall of the casing member for recessing the upper terminalend of'the release button, a number of stop lugs struck downwardly inthe guide plate, the formation of each lug providing an irregular holethrough the guide plate adjacent each stop lug, a number of upstandingharness terminal engaging dogs mounted for reciproeatin-g, axialmovements on the release plate, each dog projecting through :a hole inthe guide plate and into the common terminal end receiving area, stopmeans on each dog limiting movement of the dog on the release plate inan upward direction, and an expansile spring means between the bottom ofeach dog and the box biasing the dog against the release plate and therelease plate against the stop l-ugs on the guide plate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

1. IN A MULTIPLE, SEPARABLE FASTENER DEVICE FOR BODY HARNESS THECOMBINATION OF AN OPEN-TOPPED BOX, A CASING MEMBER HAVING A TOP WALL APAIR OF SPACED, MARGINAL FLANGED PROJECTING DOWNWARDLY FROM OPPOSITESIDES OF THE TOP WALL TO EMBRACE OPPOSED SIDE OF THE BOX, TERMINALENTRANCE SLOTS FORMED THROUGH THE FLANGES ABOVE THE TOP OF THE BOX, RODMEANS SECURING THE SPACED MARGINAL FLANGES OF THE CASING MEMBER TO THEBOX TO POSITION THE OPEN TOP OF THE BOX IN SPACED RELATION WITH THEUNDERSIDE OF THE TOP WALL OF THE CASING MEMBER, A FLOATING GUIDE PLATEDISPOSED UPON AND ACROSS THE OPEN TOP OF THE BOX AND HAVING A NUMBER OFLUGS STRUCK UPWARDLY THEREFROM TO ENGAGE THE UNDERSIDE OF THE CASING TOPWALL, EACH LUG BEING LOCATED BESIDE OF THE CASING TOP WALL, POSITIONRELATION TO A TERMINAL ENTRANCE SLOT TO PROVIDE AN AREA ADAPTED TORECEIVE AND GUIDE THE TERMINAL ENDS OF THE BODY HARNESS, INTERLOCKINGMEANS BETWEEN THE GUIDE PLATE AND THE BOX RESTRAINING THE GUIDE PLATEAGAINST